Varaha Purana 201.20 — Adhyaya 201, Shloka 20
The Battle between the Rākṣasas and Yama’s Attendant-Messengers
गजैरन्ये तथा चाश्वै रथैश्चापि महाबलाः ॥ कण्टकैस्तुरगैर्हंसैरन्ये सिंहैस्तथापरे ॥
gajair anye tathā cāśvai rathaiś cāpi mahābalāḥ || kaṇṭakais turagair haṃsair anye siṃhais tathāpare ||
Sebahagian yang maha perkasa datang bersama gajah, demikian juga bersama kuda dan bahkan kereta perang; yang lain bersama makhluk berduri, bersama kuda-kuda tangkas dan angsa; dan yang lain lagi bersama singa.
Narrator (default framework: Varāha–Pṛthivī dialogue context; verse itself is narrative)
Varaha Avatara Context: {"is_varaha_focus":false,"aspect_highlighted":"None","boar_form_detail":"None","earth_interaction":"None"}
Bhu Devi Dialogue: {"is_dialogue":false,"speaker_role":"None","bhu_devi_state":"None","key_question":"None"}
Mathura Mandala: {"is_mathura_related":false,"specific_site":"None","parikrama_context":"None","krishna_connection":"None"}
Dharma Shastra: {"has_dharma_rule":false,"topic":"None","instruction_summary":"None","karmic_consequence":"None"}
Vrata Mahatmya: {"has_vrata":false,"vrata_name":"None","tithi_month":"None","promised_fruit":"None"}
Cosmic Boar Symbolism: {"has_symbolism":false,"symbolic_interpretation":"None","yajna_varaha_imagery":"None","vedantic_connection":"None"}
Philosophical Teaching: {"has_teaching":true,"teaching_type":"symbolic reading of conflict imagery","core_concept":"The catalog of mounts (elephants, horses, chariots) and uncanny creatures (spined beings, swans, lions) portrays adharma’s polymorphic resources—power, speed, prestige, deception.","practical_application":"Do not be overawed by the opponent’s ‘varied vehicles’ (resources/alliances); assess capabilities calmly and respond strategically."}
Subject Matter: ["Conflict","Zoological Imagery","Material Culture (war mounts)"]
Primary Rasa: vīra
Secondary Rasa: bhayānaka
Type: battlefield / narrative space
Related Themes: Varaha Purana 201.21 (arming of the host)
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vast, surreal war procession: elephants and horses beside chariots, interspersed with lions and swans, and strange spined creatures—an otherworldly army assembling.","item_prompts":["war elephants with armor","horses and chariots","lions as mounts/companions","swans in martial context","spined creatures (kāṇṭaka)","banners and dust clouds"],"kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, crowded procession with rhythmic repetition of animals, bold outlines, saturated palette, stylized banners.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore, grand procession with gold-highlighted caparisons and chariot ornaments, jewel-toned animals, dense decorative borders.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore, elegant detailing of mounts and harnesses, balanced composition, soft background gradation.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari, whimsical-yet-martial animal array, crisp lines, light landscape wash, emphasis on narrative variety."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"grand, martial-cinematic","suggested_raga":"Shankarabharanam","pace":"medium-fast","voice_tone":"resonant, expansive"}
FAQs
Catalogs of mounts and forces are a standard feature of Sanskrit war-description, preserving terms for vehicles (ratha) and symbolic animals that shape the literary imagination of power.
None is mentioned.
No explicit ethical teaching appears; the verse is descriptive, emphasizing variety and magnitude of forces.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Varaha Purana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.